St. Michael's Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children benefit from a sequenced curriculum. This focuses on developing the children's communication and social skills during each stage of their time at the setting, preparing them effectively for school. The setting has established very strong links with the local schools. They invite teachers to take part in an event that parents can attend before applying for school places.

Children develop trusting attachments with the caring staff, who attend to their individual needs well. Young babies and older children seek out staff for cuddles and reassurance when they need it. Staff are warm and responsive. This helps children to feel safe and secure.

Children are excited to explore the setting, including the extensive outdoor area that has been very well developed to support their learning and development across all areas of learning. They are physically active in their play and encouraged to take appropriate risks as they balance, climb and use tools. Older children use tweezers and spades safely, showing good levels of control. Babies and toddlers enjoy learning to catch and throw balls as they play outside. Children develop independence skills as they manage their own waterproof suits and boots and put them away properly.

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress in the setting. The special educational needs and disabilities coordinator (SENDCo) provides targeted support for children who require it and ensures timely referrals are made to outside agencies. This helps all children to achieve their full potential.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

• Children are encouraged to develop a keen interest in the world around them. They learn how to grow vegetables from seeds and can explain what plants require to grow. Children excitedly point out vehicles they see. Younger children learn to identify different vehicles, such as tractors, and older children suggest where helicopters may be flying to, guessing South Molten and Landkey, for instance.
• Staff share books and stories in an engaging way, and children listen intently, suggesting what they think may happen and what they can see in the pictures. Staff ensure a wide range of books are available throughout the setting, many of which represent a wide range of cultures. Children who speak English as an additional language can take home dual-language books to share with their parents. This helps children to understand and value diversity.
• The majority of teaching is of a high standard, and many staff use effective questioning to help children to express their ideas and knowledge. However, some less-experienced staff members do not consistently use the same teaching strategies to support children's learning as effectively.
• The manager is highly experienced, and, alongside the dedicated SENDCo, she makes exceptional use of additional funding to support children. For instance, they have identified a higher number of children with speech and language delays as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, they have employed a trained speech and language therapist to work in the setting, and they offer every child an assessment. Children who need additional support in this area take part in specialised sessions with the therapist.
• Children are supported to be healthy. They eat wholesome, nutritious meals prepared by the nursery cook. Children are taught about the importance of oral hygiene and handwashing. Children with allergies are well catered for and eat from labelled plates to avoid cross-contamination.
• Staff give consistent reminders of their expectations for children's behaviour, such as kind hands, listening ears and indoor voices. Children respond well to staff and develop good levels of self-control. They are praised for their manners and for sharing with their friends. Staff provide opportunities for children to talk about their feelings and a calm space for children to use when they need to. This helps children to develop an understanding of their emotions and how to manage them.
• Staff in the setting feel valued and supported by the manager. The manager meets with staff to give them supervision and check on their welfare. However, she does not consistently give staff targets for improvement in their professional development.
• Parents are very happy with the service the nursery provides and praise the staff for their impact on their children's learning and development. The setting keeps them well informed about their children's progress and gives them advice so they can support their children at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• further develop the quality of teaching to a consistently high standard throughout the setting
• identify targets for improvement for staff as part of their continued professional development.